How to Fix a "Spotify Can't Play This Right Now" Error (8 Methods) (2024)

Trying to play your favorite song on Spotify only to be greeted with a "Spotify Can't Play This Right Now" error message? We'll show you how to fix that on your iPhone, Android, Windows, or Mac device.

Check If Spotify Is Down

One reason you get a "Spotify Can't Play This Right Now" error is that the platform is down. If the platform's servers are facing an outage, you can't stream all or certain songs (the ones hosted on the faulty server).

In this case, check if Spotify is down using the Spotify Status account on Twitter or the Downdetector site. Both these items will tell you if Spotify is experiencing issues on its end. And if that's the case, you'll have to wait until the company fixes the issue.

If Spotify's up, follow the other troubleshooting methods below to try to fix your issue.

Restart Your Mobile or Desktop Device

Now that you know Spotify isn't down, ensure your desktop or mobile device doesn't have minor glitches that are causing the app not to play your songs. You can resolve most minor issues with your devices by simply rebooting your devices.

It's easy to restart an iPhone, Android, Windows 11, Windows 10, or Mac device. Once you've done that, launch your Spotify app and see if you can listen to your favorite songs.

Related: Why Does Rebooting a Computer Fix So Many Problems?

Check the Song Is Unavailable

One reason you can't play your song on Spotify is that your song is unavailable. Spotify sometimes still displays these songs in your lists even when you can't play them. You'll find that these songs are grayed out in your albums or playlists.

If this is the case with your song, you can't play it no matter what you do. If you really wish to listen to that specific music track, consider using an alternate music streaming service like YouTube Music.

Related: Apple Music vs. Spotify: Which is Better?

Update Spotify on Your Mobile or Desktop Device

The Spotify app's minor glitches can prevent you from playing your favorite songs. In this case, try to fix those issues by updating your app. Most updates often contain bug fixes, which allow you to patch the existing problems in your apps.

How you update Spotify depends on the device you're using.

If you're a Windows or Mac user, then from the app's menu bar, select Help > About Spotify. If an update is available, select "Click Here to Download."

If you're on an Android phone, open Play Store, find "Spotify", and tap "Update."

If you're an iPhone user, access App Store, tap "Updates," and choose "Update" next to "Spotify."

Then, launch your updated app and see if you can access your favorite music tracks.

Related: How to Update Apps on Android

Turn Off Hardware Acceleration in Spotify

Spotify's hardware acceleration feature uses your Windows or Mac machine's components besides just your CPU to improve the app performance. When you have trouble using a feature in the app, especially when you can't play a song, it's a good idea to turn off that feature to see if that fixes your issue.

To disable the feature in Spotify's Windows version, from the app's menu bar, select View > Hardware Acceleration.

If you're on a Mac, from the app's menu bar, choose Spotify > Hardware Acceleration.

Then, relaunch the app and see if you can play your songs.

Related: the app may not work as expected, as it doesn't receive the expected cached content.

In this case, resolve the issue by removing the app's cached data. You won't lose your account data or other items when doing this. Also, your app will rebuild the cache as you use it.

To delete Spotify's cache on an Android phone, head into Spotify > Settings. In the "Storage" section, tap "Clear Cache" and choose "Clear Cache" in the prompt.

See Also

Spotify not working? Common problems and how to fix them

If you're an iPhone user, navigate to Spotify > Settings > Storage. Here, tap "Delete Cache."

On a Windows or Mac computer, access Spotify's "Settings" menu and scroll down to the "Storage" section. Here, next to "Cache," click "Clear Cache."

When you've deleted your cache, relaunch the Spotify app and try to play your songs.

[related]https://www.howtogeek.com/834387/how-to-clear-your-cache-on-android/">How to Clear the Cache on Android

Log Out and Back Into Your Spotify Account

If your app has a login session problem, sign out and then back in to your account to potentially fix that problem. Keep your Spotify login details handy as you'll need them to sign in to your account.

To start, if you're on an iPhone or Android phone, open the app and tap the gear icon in the top-right corner. Scroll down the page and choose "Log Out."

On a Windows or Mac computer, in Spotify's top-right corner, click the down-arrow icon and choose "Log Out."

After signing out, log back in using your preferred login method. Then, try to play your favorite music tracks.

If you have trouble logging in, learn how to fix Spotify's login error code 409.

Uninstall and Reinstall Spotify

If you've had no success fixing the "can't play this right now" issue using the above methods, your app may be faulty from its core. In this case, the best way to resolve your problem is by removing and reinstalling the app.

You don't lose your playlists or other account data when you do this. However, you'll be required to sign back into your account, so keep your Spotify login credentials ready.

To remove Spotify on an Android phone, tap and hold on Spotify in your app drawer and choose "Uninstall." Select "OK" in the prompt. Then, visit Google Play Store, find "Spotify", and tap "Install" to reinstall the app.

If you're an iPhone user, tap and hold on Spotify on your home screen and choose Remove App > Delete App. Reinstall the app by visiting App Store, finding "Spotify", and tapping the download icon.

On Windows 11, you'll head into Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Next to Spotify, click the three dots, choose "Uninstall," and select "Uninstall."

On Windows 10, navigate to Settings > Apps. Find Spotify, click "Uninstall," and choose "Uninstall."

On a Mac, open Finder and access the "Applications" folder. Right-click Spotify and choose "Move to Trash."

Then, visit the Spotify website to download and install a fresh copy of the app on your computer.

And that's how you resolve an error that prevents you from accessing your favorite music tracks on this streaming service. Happy listening!

Related: Fix: What to Do If Spotify Keeps Pausing On You